Telephone-tablet



(No Model.)

W. S. MENDENHAL-L. TELEPHONE TABLET.

No. 435,314. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

UNITED STATES V PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. MENDENHALL, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO ELEANOR TATUM,(ADMINISTRATRIX OF SAMUEL O. TATUM, DE-

OEASED,) OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TELEPHONE-TABLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,314, dated August26, 1890.

Application filed April 25, 1890. Serial No. 349,490- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. MENDEN- HALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Covington, in the county of Kenton and Stateof Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telephone-Tablets, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a tablet which can be readilyattached or connected to a telephone box, desk, table, or otherconvenient place, so as to hold the paper in position and furnish ashelf on which to write.

Another object of my invention is to provide a gravity tension forholding the paper taut, the parts being so constructed that it can bereadily attached or detached and can be shipped knocked down for thepurpose of attachment, all of which will be fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvementin position for use. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical section of the roll.

1 represents the lid of a telephone-battery box; 2, the bed of thetablet.

3 represents hooked bars attached to the under side of the bed 2 andpreferably made detachable therefrom. The clamps are provided with aslot a in the end which passes under the head of screws 1).

0 represents the head of the second screw. One of the clamps is shownslotted at (1, so that it may be engaged with said screws without takingout the same by simply loosening the screws if it is desired to removethem, and tightening the same when desired to secure them, while theother is shown permanently secured to the bed 2.

4 represents a catch, the shank of which is provided with a slot 5,through which passes the screw 6. This catch engages with theoverhanging edge of the lid 1 of the telephone-box and serves as a braceagainst the lid opposite hooks 8 of the bars 3.

7 represents a paper roll. It is held in position by a shaft or cylinderB, having gudgeons 10, journaled between slotted standards 9. The shaftor cylinder may be composed of solid metal, or it may be hollowandweighted. It may be made of wood and filled with metal or fine gravel orsand, the weight of which will hold the paper down upon the bed of thetablet. The weight is suficiently heavy to produce the requisite amountof friction to prevent the paper from unwinding too freely, therebypreserving the desired tension for holding the paper in position forwriting and to prevent it from pulling out too freely.

11 represents a cutter under which the pa per A passes from the roll.

Mode of operation: The hook 8 of the clamps 3 are secured over one edgeof the lid 1 of the telephone-battery box. justed to engage under theopposite side of said lid. The screw 6 is turned up, thereby firmlysecuring the tablet to the box-lid. The paper is drawn forward, passingunder knife 11, and is ready for writing. The weight of the shaft issufficient to prevent the paper from unwinding t-oo freely even when itis nearly wound off, but not great enough to prevent the paper frombeing pulled off Without tearing the same, except when it is raised tocome in contact with knife lll Having described my invention, what Iclaim is- 1. A telephone tablet composed, substantially, of the bed 2,the hook-bars 3, the catch 4, adapted to be secured to the lid of thetele-' phone-box, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the tablet 2, with device for attaching the sameto the lid 1, the weighted roll 7, secured by slotted standards 9 uponthe upper side of said tablet, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

\VALTER S. MENDENHALL.

Witnesses:

T. SIMMONS, O. W. MILEs.

The catch l is ad-

